Projectile for destroying barbed-wire entanglements.



J. F. ROGERS. PROJECIILE FOR DESTROYING BARBED WIRE ENTANGLEMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.H,1946.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

JOHN F. ROGERS, F WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA.

rnoanc'rrtn ron nnsraorrne BARBED-WIRE nnmnetnmnnrs.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented (Pct. 10, 1916..

Application filed April 11, 191s. Serial no. 90,301.

' To all rhhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. RoGERs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wheeling, in the county of Ohio, State of West Virginia, have invented a new and useful Projectile for Destroying Barbed-WVire Entanglements; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others-skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to a projectile for destroying barbed wire entangle ments and the like, and has for its object to provide a projectile of this character which embodies novel features of construction whereby it can be discharged from the guns in ordinary use, and will operate in an effective manner to destroy any object or obstruction having the general nature of a wire entanglement.

Further objects of the invention are to rovidea projectile of this character which 1s simple and inexpensive in its construction, which can be handled without danger or difficulty, which can be absolutely depended upon to expand and sweep through a wire entanglement in the necessary manner to destroy the same, and which can be used in the ordinary guns without injuring the same or destroying the bore thereof.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel. combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a projectile constructed in accordance with the invention, the latch member being shown in operative position by solid lines, and in inoperative positionby dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. '3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, on a reduced scale, showing the relative positions of the two sections of the projectile immediately after they leave the mouth of the Fig. 4: is a side elevation showing a modified construction of latch member for holding the two sections of the projectile .together, portions being broken away and shown in section. Fig. 5 is 'ia view similar to Fig. 1, showing a still further modification of the latch member.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters. In carrying out the invention a hollow projectile is used, said projectile having substantially the same shape or configuration as the ordinary projectiles and being divided transversely to provide a front or nose section 1 and a rear or heel section 2. These two sections 1 and 2 are of different weights, and are referably formed of difi'erent material, the rear or heel section 2 being considerably lighter in weight than the front or nose section 1. One of the sections, in the present instance, the front section 1, is provided with a contracted flange 3 which is adapted to telescope within the rabbeted mouth 4 at the forward end of the heel section 2, thereby holding the two sections of the projectile in proper position with respect to each other when they are assembled and locked together preparatory to being discharged from the gun.

A flexible link member such as the steel cable 5 connects the two sections of the projectile, said cable being doubled up and housed within the hollow interior of the projectile when the two parts thereof are fitted together. The opposite ends of the cable are connected to steel hasps 6- which have the arms thereof partially embedded in the ends of the respective sections 1 and 2, the looped portions of the hasps projecting into the interior of the projectile sections to provide eyes for engagement with-the ends of the steel cable 5. This cable 5 is of a sufficient length to permit the sections 1 and 2 of the projectile to follow different paths as they become separated from each other after leaving the mouth of the gun, the cable connecting the sections in such manner as to engage any wires or like obstructions which may be disposed between the paths or trajectories of the respective projectile sections. Owing to the fact that the section 2 is much lighter in weight than the section 1, itv will naturally have a lower trajectory than the section 1, and the cable 5 will en-.. gage and tear up any wire obstructions or entanglements between the trajectories of the two halves of the projectile.

Spring latch members 7 are provided for locking the two halves of the projectile to- 15 fer-red construction the latch members 7 are a formed of spring material and arranged tonormally assume an IIIOPBI'tttlVGPOSltlOD, al-

gether'while they are being handled, or are in the bore. of the gun. These spring latch members 7 are shown as connected to the front section 1. of the projectile, and as formed with triangular heads or-noscs 8 adapted to engage corresponding recesses 9 in'the rear orh'eel-section 2 of the projectile. The exterior of the projectile is preferably recessed-t receive the latch mem- 10" bers7, sothat there will be no exterior projections to prevent the projectile from fitting properly into the bore of the gun, and the latch members 7 have a spring action which causes-them to fly outwardlyinto inoperative position as soon as released. In the prethough they can be readily sprung inwardly tion. When'the projectile is placedin the bore of the gun from which it islto' be dis-- charged, the ring or band 10. can be re- 30.

moved, leaving the latch members-7 free, to spring outwardly into inoperative position assoon as theprojectileemerged from the mouth of the gun. The rear or heel section 2 would then separate from the front sectionl and describe a lower trajectory than ;the front section 1, the two sections being always connected by the cable 5 which would engage and tear up, any wire entanglements with which itmight be brought into contact. v

A slight modification is shown 'by Fig. 5,

in which the latch members" 7 a are hingedly or "pivotally connected to the projectile so as to bereadilyswung into or out-of operativepo'sition. Coil springs 11 are shown as positioned under the latch members 7 so as to normally tend .to swing the same outwardly awayrfrom the recesses 9. A ring or band 10 is used, as in the previous instance, to hold the latch'members' 7 in op erative position while the projectiles are being handled and placed in the bore of the gun, although the coil'springs 11 operate to swing the latch members 7 outwardly and disconnect the two sections'of each projectileas soon as the projectile leaves the mouth of the gun. 1 q I A further slight modification is shown by Fig. 4, in which the leaf springs. 12 are sub stituted for the coil springs 11. .In all other particulars the construction and operation is. identical with that previously described. -Hav1ng thus described the invention what .I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is I l. A projectile of the character described, including a hollow body formed in separate front and rear sections having difierent weights so as to describe different trajectories,' a'fiexible link member connecting the two sections and normally housed within thesame, and. normally inoperative spring latch membersfor locking the sections together, said latchmembers being arranged to be held in operative position by the bore of thefgun and released as soon as the pro jectile leaves the mouth of the gun. 2. Aprojectile of the character described, including a hollow body formed in separate front and rear sections, a flexible link member connecting the two sections and normally housed within the same, and normally inoperative springlatch members applied to the exterior of one of the sections and adapted to engage the exterior of the opposite section to lock the two sections together, said latch members being held in operative position by the bore of the gun until after the projectile leaves the mouth of the gun,

after which they immediately spring into inoperative position.

3. A projectile or the character described, including a hollow body formed inseparate frontand rear sections constructed of dif ferentv materials and having difierent weights s cas to describe. difi'erent trajectories, a flexible link member connecting the .t'wo sections and normally housed within the same, and normally inoperative spring latch members carried by one of the sections foren'gagement with the other section .to lock the two sections together, said latch members being arranged upon the exterior of the body so as to be held in operative position by the bore ofthe gun and immediately' spring into inoperative position when the projectile is discharged from the In testimony whereof i have signed my name tothisspeclfication 1n the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

John. F. osses.

Witnesses:

1 G. W. GARnIsoN,

ARTHUR A. Farms. 

